In an action paper, Left Party leader Jan van Aken calls for a kind of heat-free day at work. Daily working hours should be reduced by a quarter at temperatures as low as 26 degrees Celsius in the workplace, according to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND, Monday editions) from van Aken's action paper titled "Heat Protection is Occupational Safety - Act Now." Accordingly, at temperatures as high as 30 degrees Celsius, work hours should be reduced by half.
"The climate crisis has long been a social crisis as well – those who toil under the scorching sun or sit in an overheated office often pay with their own health," van Aken told RND. In his view, no one can "work concentrated and effectively in an office at 30 degrees Celsius or more." Heat stress can lead to health problems, according to van Aken, "whether working in an office or performing heavy physical labor on the street."
The Left Party leader is calling on the federal government to implement immediate measures by July 2025. Specifically, the Workplace Ordinance must be tightened: According to van Aken's ideas, if temperatures at the workplace exceed 26 degrees Celsius, there should be an additional 10-minute break per hour, the right to sufficient water and sun protection, the right to work from home, and a 25 percent reduction in full-time hours.
At temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, a reduction in working hours by 50 percent should be possible, there should be a ten-minute break every half hour, and fans should be installed in the workplace.
In addition, the Left Party leader is calling for free sunscreen dispensers on beaches and more water dispensers in cities.
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